GY$100,000 cash grant in 2026 budget

Last Updated on Wednesday, 17 December 2025, 23:17 by Writer

President Irfaan Ali announced Wednesday night that Guyanese 18 years and older will receive a GY$100,000 cash grant and that the money would be available in the 2026 national budget.

In a more than two-hour long address to diplomats and government officials, he said “other cash grants will be paid during the course” of his five-year term.

“Cash transfers are an important means through which specific policy objectives can be realised,” he said in a speech that mirrored one that he should have delivered to the Parliament.

The President, while on the 2025 general election campaign trail, had indicated that Guyanese would have received a cash grant for the Christmas holidays “if you behave yourself”.

It is unclear why he did not do so, but speculation in some quarters is that the President is avoiding a sitting of Parliament that will include leader of the main opposition We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), Azruddin Mohamed who, along with his father, is wanted by the US for trial for financial crimes. They are fighting an extradition in the court.

House Speaker Manzoor Nadir is also yet to call a meeting of opposition MPs for Mr Mohamed to be elected constitutionally as Guyana’s Opposition Leader.

Attorney General Anil Nandlall has also indicated that that would not do Guyana’s image any good.

The President also announced that 10-day government workers would from next year earn GY$50,000 per month.

In the area of business development, Dr Ali said his government would also designate several areas countrywide as tax-free special development zones whose aims would be to drive employment in the non-oil sector by producing items that would replace imports.

“These will especially target the objectives of creating jobs where these are most needed, as well as promoting those categories of economic activities that generate export earnings, or that fulfill demand that is currently met by imports in specific related activities that generate export earnings or that fulfill demand that is currently met by imports,” he said.

The locations of those zones, he said, would be announced in the 2026 national budget.

Dr Ali also said financing would be provided to Amerindians to improve the quality of homes in their communities.